After two highly rated airings, Fox’s new comedy seriesNew Girl is getting an early back-nine pickup — which in this case is a back-11 pickup — bringing the order to the show starring Zooey Deschanel to 24 episodes. The 20th TV/Chernin Entertainment series, which gave Fox the elusive first live-action half-hour comedy hit in a decade, launched with a big 4.8 rating among adults 18-49 last week. Last night, it logged a 4.5, topping all Tuesday competition in the demo both weeks.

New Girl was created by Liz Meriwether who is executive producing with Peter Chernin, Katherine Pope and helmer Jake Kasdan, who directed both the pilot and last night’s second episode. “We love the charming Zooey Deschanel and the entire cast, we’re knocked out with the work that Liz Meriwether and the whole staff is doing and we are really psyched about the upcoming episodes in the pipeline,” Fox entertainment president Kevin Reilly said. “It’s great that audiences have responded so positively so far and we’re confident that even more people will embrace the show — and more comedy on Fox — this season.” New Girl is the first new fall series to get a back-nine order. It will probably be followed by another new comedy, CBS’ 2 Broke Girls, which also opened strong and did well in Week 2; another comedy with two solid showings, NBC’s Up All Night, should be close behind. Other newcomers that look promising after one airing include CBS’ Person of Interest, ABC’s Revenge and Pan Am and NBC’s Whitney.

42 Comments

James Reagan • on Sep 28, 2011 1:33 pm

Zooey Deschanel is lovely, gorgeous, sexy and beautiful. I love her. She’s amazing. That woman is incredible. She’s a very talented actress. It’s an exceptional performance, just wonderful. I hope she does more mainstream movies from now on and begins her ascension to the A-list.

G • on Sep 28, 2011 4:08 pm

Geez, get a room.

carthy • on Sep 28, 2011 1:34 pm

Like the show, but FOX needs to drop the print ads with Zooey looking off to her right. She’s been Photoshopped so much she isn’t even recognizable.

Her eyes are one of her great features. Let Zooey be Zooey.

TrixielaRue • on Sep 28, 2011 1:37 pm

I thought it was funnier last night than the premier episode. Zooey is adorable…
cant wait to see how the show develops… my kid was quoting “suck it Mr. Crabs” as she went to sleep….

mmbond • on Sep 29, 2011 6:23 pm

Sooo much better than the premier. The show was actually funny. After last weeks debacle, the show came through in a big way! Zooey was great and the writing was up to her formidable talent. Each and every member of the cast brought their “A” game (including Damon Wayans Jr’s replacement – thank god).

I railed against the show’s premier and its talent (Zooey notwithsanding), but this week, wow! Definitely will continue watching if they can keep this up.

Cash • on Sep 28, 2011 1:46 pm

Wonder what title Fox has lined up for midseason, “Nails on a Chalkboard”?

Reese • on Sep 28, 2011 1:48 pm

Zooey Deschanel is absolutely a-dork-able and is gonna snare an Emmy nod next year. Thank goodness for shows that get out of the gate so hot with great writing, terrific cast chemistry and a star like Z.D.

Jeff • on Sep 28, 2011 1:56 pm

Zooey! Zooey! Zooey! New Girl is helping to bring back the sitcom. I hope this is but the tip of the iceberg that signals the death of lame reality TV. Awesome show and cast! Congrats on the full season pickup!

Lisa • on Sep 28, 2011 2:02 pm

A female writer with a female lead and a solid diversity cast… HEY FOX, GET THE DAMN HINT AND MAKE DEALS WITH MORE WOMEN AND DIVERSITY TALENT!!!

OldGuard • on Sep 28, 2011 3:42 pm

Agreed! More diversity. More trust w/ newer writers with a lot to say….Maybe Fox’s new “audience strategy” group will also get the hint…

got it • on Sep 29, 2011 9:59 am

Ah-ha! So it’s women and “diversity” that makes a hit comedy. That solves that.

INterested Observer • on Sep 28, 2011 2:15 pm

The best thing you can say about this show is next week it will deliver twice the rating of Terra Nova for 1/8 the cost. Also I guess it makes Fox’s golden boy Ryan Murphy look like a real bitch by building on Glee’s audience. But MAN is this show forced and shrill at times!

Jeff • on Sep 28, 2011 2:23 pm

Ummm…can you say “emperor’s new clothes?” Want to like this comedy, but it’s missing something – comedy. Zooey D floats around like a drunk cheerleader on her first acid trip (I guess that’s the appeal) and charms america with the highlights in her big peepers while the fellas attempt to not look like tv actors. Hmm. Well, now it’s got legs to run for the funny.

franklin stein • on Sep 28, 2011 2:25 pm

I don’t get it. Not a laugh in either episode for me. You must have to be 18-24 to care. I tried…..I’m out.

Agreed. Though I like Zooey, the other cast members bring the show down. That womanizer dude in particular is a pretty bad actor.

so true • on Sep 29, 2011 10:01 am

They should replace/rewrite that guy, he’s highly annoying. Is Adam Pally available yet?

alexgk • on Sep 28, 2011 2:41 pm

Congrats to everyone involved with the show. I think Zoey is charming, and really just adorable to watch. But I’ve tried a couple times, and while I think the show is cute, just not as funny as I’d hope.

To be honest, the one guy who keeps taking off his shirt, and just..I mean last nights episode he’s written as such a caricature. I cringe whenever he opens his mouth lol.

But only a couple episodes in, so could get better!

Jon • on Sep 28, 2011 2:46 pm

Wow, Fox were canny enough to realise there were a lot of Zooey obsessives that would love the show no matter how bad it is going by these comments.

voiceofreason • on Sep 30, 2011 4:12 am

actually, they just paid her so much money on the pilot that they refuse to admit their mistake. its sad when the script is better . . .ZD is terrible and incredibly difficult to work with.

Johnny Suede • on Sep 28, 2011 2:58 pm

Why is everyone hating on this show? I think it’s really funny and ZD is totally charming. There are plenty of worse sitcoms out there (hello, Mike & Molly! I mean I thought the pilot was terrible last year and then tried to give it another chance after MM won the emmy, but still couldn’t get past 5 minutes of that dreck).

Wow, you’re all over the map there, frothy. Wanna take a xanax and try again?

Sam • on Sep 28, 2011 3:22 pm

Really? Really?! Okay, she’s cute but that’s it. The other actors are awful and the writing is mediocre at best!

Alex • on Sep 28, 2011 3:42 pm

Zooey’s cute, the show is cute, cute sells. Ask the 18-49 crowd, it beat “Glee” in overall ratings

jer • on Sep 28, 2011 4:03 pm

There’s only one worthwhile comedy on right now and that’s Modern Family, and even that one rolls a few duds. That networks are going nuts over this one just illustrates how low the bar is right now.

Business Guru • on Sep 28, 2011 4:19 pm

Interesting that a ratings in the 4s these days is a hit when it would’ve been a doomsday rating for a show not so long ago. Looks like the erosion rate has lowered the bar.

charles dickens • on Sep 28, 2011 4:22 pm

evidently, 1000 monkeys on 1000 typewriters worked for 6 minutes and created ‘new girl’.

who can work for this drivel? oh, the first 10 commenters, that’s who.

Aeiouy • on Sep 28, 2011 5:16 pm

Zooey is awesome. I would watch her stand there and blow bubbles for 22 mins a week. She is a charisma meteror

Anonymous • on Sep 28, 2011 8:42 pm

That would be better TV at least. Zing!

Jed • on Sep 28, 2011 6:23 pm

This show was predicted to do well and the numbers are showing it…it’s about time FOX produces scripted programming, especially in the comedy sector, that can resonate with viewers and they’ve got a good one here. Unfortunately for the Playboy Club, it looks like 3 and out at NBC and being replaced with the new Brian Williams news show.

keeping it real... • on Sep 28, 2011 8:19 pm

come on, you guys! if anybody can tell me one solid joke from last nights episode I swear to god I will send the first person a paypal credit!!! this show is very cute tonally, but it’s not funny. at all. ZD is obviously charming. And the other cast members are decent as well, but that’s not enough to call a show a hit. or even good. not even nearly!! i don’t understand what’s happening in the world when all these people are watching the same things and having such vastly different opinions. i’m assuming that most of the people who read deadline are in the industry so how can it be so hard to discern good from garbage????

jim • on Sep 28, 2011 8:51 pm

Wow! Some seriously jealous tv types on board tonight! Its a good show, deal with it. Maybe next time……..

Sean • on Sep 28, 2011 9:21 pm

I don’t understand how just because someone critiques a show, it means they’re jealous…

I saw the premiere, and all the actors besides Zooey are really bad. The plot line was forced as well – all of a sudden the date doesn’t show up because she sent too many texts? That came out of left field.

Sean • on Sep 28, 2011 9:22 pm

I will say, though, that I’d rather see this show do well than any reality TV show.

webster's dictionary • on Sep 28, 2011 9:29 pm

i don’t think you correctly understand what the words ‘good’ and ‘show’ mean.

Lisa • on Sep 29, 2011 8:43 am

To the Fox IDIOTS, X FACTOR SUCKS. WOW Simon and Paula together again HOW BORING, it’s so AMERICAN IDOL been there, done that, so i’ll pass. AMERICAN IDOL IS THE BEST